Bottle Calf

[Anonymous]

I know this has been discussed here before but I can't find the information in the archives.

Here is my tale of woe. We have a calf drop last week that evidently became separated from it's momma. We also don't have our cow's tagged and became confused on who the mamma is since they are all calving now. Anyway, we finally got the right one up and have been putting her in the headshoot and letting the calf nurse the past three days but so far there is no bonding between the two and the cow is figuring out the routine of running her in the headshoot as is getting to be a job to get her in it.The mamma is not rejecting her but neither are nurturing each other. I work outside the farm and cannot help my wife during the day.

Question? If this turns into a bottle calf, how long does she suck the bottle and what the heck do I need to watch for?

Thanks,



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[Anonymous]

> I know this has been discussed
> here before but I can't find the
> information in the archives.

> Here is my tale of woe. We have a
> calf drop last week that evidently
> became separated from it's momma.
> We also don't have our cow's
> tagged and became confused on who
> the mamma is since they are all
> calving now. Anyway, we finally
> got the right one up and have been
> putting her in the headshoot and
> letting the calf nurse the past
> three days but so far there is no
> bonding between the two and the
> cow is figuring out the routine of
> running her in the headshoot as is
> getting to be a job to get her in
> it.The mamma is not rejecting her
> but neither are nurturing each
> other. I work outside the farm and
> cannot help my wife during the
> day.

> Question? If this turns into a
> bottle calf, how long does she
> suck the bottle and what the heck
> do I need to watch for?

> Thanks,

HOPEFULLY IT GOT SOME COLOSTRUM WITHIN THE FIRST 24 HOURS. IF NOT IT WILL HAVE LESS NATURAL IMMUNITIES. IT WILL NEED A BOTTLE FOR 6-10 WEEKS (UNTIL IT WILL EAT ABOUT 4LBS OF GRAIN PER DAY) OR IF IT LOOKS HEALTHY YOU CAN TAKE IT TO THE SALES BARN AND GET $100-$130 AND BE DONE WITH IT. OTHER WISE YOU MIGHT WANT TO PICK UP A DAIRY CALF TO KEEP IT COMPANY. AND ITS JUST AS EASY TO FEED TWO AS IT IS ONE. (MILK REPLACER IS $40 PER BAG, AND IT TAKES A BAG OR MORE PER CALF.) LUNKER



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[Anonymous]

If you go the bottle route make sure that you get a high quality milk replacer. One that is nade from milk and milk byproducts, not soy. It costs a little more, but using the other stuff is penny wise and pound foolish. An opinion concerning the cow. If it's a heifer I would give her another chance. If it's a cow I would have her grow wheels. If she doesnt have the maternal qualities she isn't doing her job and an employee that doesn't do their job shoudl be fired.

dun

> I know this has been discussed
> here before but I can't find the
> information in the archives.

> Here is my tale of woe. We have a
> calf drop last week that evidently
> became separated from it's momma.
> We also don't have our cow's
> tagged and became confused on who
> the mamma is since they are all
> calving now. Anyway, we finally
> got the right one up and have been
> putting her in the headshoot and
> letting the calf nurse the past
> three days but so far there is no
> bonding between the two and the
> cow is figuring out the routine of
> running her in the headshoot as is
> getting to be a job to get her in
> it.The mamma is not rejecting her
> but neither are nurturing each
> other. I work outside the farm and
> cannot help my wife during the
> day.

> Question? If this turns into a
> bottle calf, how long does she
> suck the bottle and what the heck
> do I need to watch for?

> Thanks,

 

[Anonymous]

> I know this has been discussed
> here before but I can't find the
> information in the archives.

> Here is my tale of woe. We have a
> calf drop last week that evidently
> became separated from it's momma.
> We also don't have our cow's
> tagged and became confused on who
> the mamma is since they are all
> calving now. Anyway, we finally
> got the right one up and have been
> putting her in the headshoot and
> letting the calf nurse the past
> three days but so far there is no
> bonding between the two and the
> cow is figuring out the routine of
> running her in the headshoot as is
> getting to be a job to get her in
> it.The mamma is not rejecting her
> but neither are nurturing each
> other. I work outside the farm and
> cannot help my wife during the
> day.

> Question? If this turns into a
> bottle calf, how long does she
> suck the bottle and what the heck
> do I need to watch for?

> Thanks,

Any orphaned calves that we get from time to time are fed using a teat with a tube through the fence into a bucket.To start off with we use a bottle but this gets tiresome and we go to the above mentioned method. We always use a couple of eggs in each bucket of milk,we give them about a litre and a half four times a day for the first week to two weeks. We gradually introduce them to a grain mix after about a month. Take note whether they scour and adjust the amount of milk accordingly. We have never lost a calf in many years of feeding orphans. Never let the calf have grain before their milk. We have been using a milk powder with rumensin in it. It has been wonderful,our calves never look like the usual bucket reared calf with a pot gut. One of our successful Brahman show bulls is a bucket reared candidate,he is well grown and no one is any the wiser. Best of luck Colin



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[Anonymous]

With today's yearling prices you cannot afford to keep a heifer who has lost her calf. Should get about $850 out of a 950 lb calf.

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[Anonymous]

Retaining heifers that have lost a calf or even young cows that is one of those really tough questions. Can you buy an equal quality replacment for the kind of money she would bring. Baring in mind the costs of feeding the replacement until she calves. We retained one young cow that had her calf die. The vets are still baffled as to what the calf got that killed it so quickly. Fine one night, black crap pouring out of it's nose the next morning, dead that night even with antibiotics. She raises a superior calf and we couldn't replace her for what she would sell for. Older cows, or ones that slip a calf or loose a calf because of poor maternal instincts, no milk, those are the easy decisions to make. You need to put a pencil to it and see how the numbers work out. Our old granny cow that has been here forever slipped her calf. As soon as we work them back to the gathering pen she grows wheels.

dun

> With today's yearling prices you
> cannot afford to keep a heifer who
> has lost her calf. Should get
> about $850 out of a 950 lb calf.

 

[Anonymous]

> Any orphaned calves that we get
> from time to time are fed using a
> teat with a tube through the fence
> into a bucket.To start off with we
> use a bottle but this gets
> tiresome and we go to the above
> mentioned method. We always use a
> couple of eggs in each bucket of
> milk,we give them about a litre
> and a half four times a day for
> the first week to two weeks. We
> gradually introduce them to a
> grain mix after about a month.
> Take note whether they scour and
> adjust the amount of milk
> accordingly. We have never lost a
> calf in many years of feeding
> orphans. Never let the calf have
> grain before their milk. We have
> been using a milk powder with
> rumensin in it. It has been
> wonderful,our calves never look
> like the usual bucket reared calf
> with a pot gut. One of our
> successful Brahman show bulls is a
> bucket reared candidate,he is well
> grown and no one is any the wiser.
> Best of luck Colin

After several feedings of the calf by putting the cow in the headshoot, we don't think she has enough milk so the cow is going to to the sale barn.We are now bottle feeding the calf. How does the bucket and tube work? How do you build one?

Thanks all for the responses.



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[Anonymous]

> After several feedings of the calf
> by putting the cow in the
> headshoot, we don't think she has
> enough milk so the cow is going to
> to the sale barn.We are now bottle
> feeding the calf. How does the
> bucket and tube work? How do you
> build one?

> Thanks all for the responses.

We use a piece of clear plastic hose about 18" long and attach it to a teat through a fence into a bucket.You need to anchor it through the fence,we do this with a hole slightly bigger than the teat circumference. Calves quickly get used to this feeding regime. It saves standing holding a bottle. Best Wishes Colin



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